Chapter 38: Chapter 38

Fuck! Pick up the phone you bastard!

Rodriguez tried Nathan again only to be cut off again.

What could he do now? He thought.

The Contreras had disappointed him and now Nathan was spending time with that girl.

If Adriana managed to get just a fragment of who she was, she would question the Contreras and there was no way his name would not be given out.

Shit! Why was this happening to him?

His enemies had tripled. If only he has put an end to Adriana the time he met her.

Nathan would surely be trying to make her remember her past but the problem was where they would be.

Rodriguez had sixty percent certainty that he would take her back to their family.

Of course, Rodriguez snapped his fingers finally getting his shit together.

Now all that was left was to send Chale spying while he went to talk with the Contreras.

He pulled up a gun from his drawer, the cold metal made him smile.

"It's like killing two birds with a stone."

"What are you doing?" Rodriguez heard his wife question.

He trembled a bit, caught unaware.

What was she even doing here, he mumbled.

His wife approaches him seeing how jelly he became.

"Are you alright", She asked.

"I am." He replied, placing the gun back into the drawer.

He turned to face her, in hopes that she would stop her incessant questioning.

"What are you doing here?"

His wife sent him a puzzled look,

"What am I doing in our bedroom? Rod, Are you sure you're ok?"

"I am." He assured, keeping his hands secure on the drawer.

"Can you move? I want to drop this." She then flagged a pink towel they had purchased for their coming child.

Rodriguez froze.

He hasn't bothered to cover up the pistol and he knew his wife's twisted obsession to make everything she saw wrong right. She would find out.

"Give me that." Rodriguez snatched the towel from her hands and folded it,

"You know, you shouldn't be working, I don't want you to stress out my son."

His wife slanted in mock surrender,

"What makes you sure it's a boy? It doesn't kick that much so I'll say it's a girl."

At least that caught her attention, Rodriguez sighed.

He used the little time he had to cover up the pistol and dropped the towel right on top.

"Oh I know it's a boy honey."

"Whatever."

"Well, I have to shower now and I'll be late tonight."

"It always works with you."

"It will end soon, I promise."

"Ok." She replied smiling at him.

Rodriguez kissed her forehead and walked out of the room.

Immediately she saw him out, she inspected the drawer.

Nothing was there.

She could have sworn she saw Rodriguez drop a pistol there.

She hardly knew what was going on with her husband.

First, he has mood swings, and now he kept guns.

He wasn't working for the mafia such that he would need a weapon in case his enemies wanted to get back at him.

She closed the drawer after checking its nook and crannies.

He had taken it. She had a bad feeling he was going to do something stupid or drastic, she had to find out what it was.

***

The road back to Tijuana wreaked havoc on Duena Romero.

Adriana was in grave danger and she couldn't find her.

How could she be so stupid?

Walter had tried to cheer her mood but she insisted he faced his driving in order not to repeat another accident.

All she wanted right now was to go home and file a complaint to the police.

Please be safe Baby, she prayed.

Mrs. Romero had lost her family and now that God had given her a second chance, she wasn't going to let Adriana die a second time.

Her phone chimed and she swiped on it to find out who was calling.

It was the maid.

"Hello." She answered.

"Hello Madam, A couple is here to see you..."

She wasn't expecting any visitor but she allowed the maid to continue.

"...A Nathan Tocci and Ema Contreras."

"Con...treras?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Tell them to wait for me." She said almost yelling.

"Ok."

The maid ended the call and Mrs. Romero immediately burst into tears.

This was God-given. She must have deserved a second chance and this time, she wasn't going to misuse the opportunity.

"Drive faster, Walter!"

Duena set out of the car when the car arrived back at her house.

She slammed open the door and was surprised to see it was all true.

"Adriana!" She rushed to hug her.

Ema accepted the hug and they both cried.

"I can't believe you're here. I thought I lost you."

Ema broke off the hug feeling unconformable.

She had no memory of this woman and it was all apathy.

She hated to break it to the joyous lady but she deserved the truth.

"I don't remember you.", Ema said plainly.

"What do you mean? If you don't remember, why are you here?"

"I'm looking for answers. I don't remember half of my life and I've been getting these images about a boy named Adrian, Do you have a picture of him?"

Duena could not believe this, she couldn't go through this...This was far wicked than a heartbreak. Her daughter has no memory of her.

What kind of mother had she been?

Duena put on a show of bravery despite falling apart.

"Adrian is dead." She solemnly replied, coming in terms with her broken soul, "But I have his pictures."

She got up and went inside, appearing a few minutes later with Polaroids.

She handed them over to Ema with teary eyes.

Ema collected them and browsed through them, Duena noticed tear drops Cascade down her pretty round face.

"I'm Adriana, Aren't I?" Ema tried to mouth, despite the lump she felt in her throat.

She took a photo of Adrian and fluttered it around.

"And I killed him."

Ema dropped the photos and watched them sway unto the floor.

"What kind of monster am I?" She screamed and ran out.

Nathan went after her.

Duena remained inside sobbing.

"Adriana wait!" Nathan yelled as he sprinted after Ema.

Ema stopped and fell to her face.

Nathan joined her and held her close.

He could sense her fear, her anxiety.

"I wish I didn't remember." She cried.

Nathan held her tighter but didn't talk.

"Why did they lie to me?" Ema questioned Nathan.

"They were trying to keep you safe in their way. When you love someone a little too much, you do more harm than good."

"What about you, I tried to ruin your life...I was a monster!" Ema said as she continued to sob.

Nathan tilted Ema's head to meet his. He wiped her tears with his soft palms and gave hee a smile.

"You changed me, Adriana. You are not a monster, you are my wife and you have a beautiful heart. You are only saying this because you don't remember everything about you and I don't care if you don't remember but I want you to remember something, I love you."

Ema stared at the good man for a second and had another flash.

She sniffled and obeyed her instincts,

Their lips locked.